Automotive vehicles typically include an instrument panel assembly secured between a pair of vertical stanchions, or A-pillars, along opposite sides of the vehicle and in front of the passenger and/or driver compartment of the vehicle. The instrument panel assembly commonly supports a plurality of components such as radio units, steering components, glove box components, gauges, and a heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit (HVAC unit). Instrument panel assemblies are commonly constructed by one or more magnesium, steel or plastic molded cross car beams extending between the A-pillars for supporting the various instrument panel components and providing structural rigidity between the A-pillars. The plastic molded beams may include channels and openings for receiving and supporting the various components therein.
The HVAC unit commonly comprises an upper casing and a lower casing for housing the HVAC components such as an evaporator core, filter, heater core and actuated valves and mode doors for directing the flow of air from the HVAC unit through selective openings in the upper and lower casings. The HVAC unit is fixedly secured to the cross car beams. However, the openings in the upper and lower casings of the HVAC unit must be aligned with openings in the beams in order to circulate and direct the flow of air from the HVAC unit through the beams and into the vehicle compartment.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a structural plastic cross car beam having integrated air ducts for circulating air therethrough and to integrate the components of the HVAC unit into the structural beams to decease the number of parts, weight and assembly complexity of the instrument panel.